Combat Medic Lends New Perspective

Matt Bungay at CFRB Hamilton

Cold Furnace Studios brings together an impressive group of military advisors, including writers and artists with military experience, for its debut game. But combat medic Matt Bungay offers a new perspective.

“It’s a tough job, being a medic, and it’s not for everyone. But it’s also one of the most rewarding – you get to put your skills against the grim reaper and hopefully come out with a win, send soldiers back to their loved ones,” said Matt. “You do need that empathy, and you face a lot of moral dilemmas. We treat everyone – our own troops, civilians and also the enemy. And you need to be a voice for all of them.”

This Newfoundland native has given over 17 years service in the Canadian Armed Forces, including two combat tours in Afghanistan and a humanitarian deployment to the Philippines. While continuing to serve as a Warrant Officer for an operations center in Ontario, Matt will now also consult on Atrocity and other matters relevant to Cold Furnace.

“I’ll be weighing in on the human aspects of war, including some of the ethical and moral issues that may come up. The choices you make often have far-reaching and unexpected outcomes – some good, some bad. In my world, for example, there are times when good medicine makes for bad tactics.”

Of course for a company developing digital military-themed entertainment with a focus on realism, Matt’s experience in treating all kinds of injuries on the battlefield will be invaluable. Whether it’s sustaining a soldier’s life long enough to get to a hospital or offering comfort as a person dies, he’s seen it up close and personal.

“There’s the human side of it, the emotional and psychological side, and the physical aspect – what happens during life-threatening injuries or when a person actually nears death; what different types of rounds do to the body; build in some possible medical treatments. Then there’s international law to consider. A lot will go into creating the realism part of this game, and it’s great to be a part of having a say in how it’s developed.”

Finally, Matt offered a view on what motivated him to become a medic and why the job still holds appeal:

“I’ve always been interested in medicine and helping people. We’re usually the only medical people out there, and you take on other’s burdens, turn into their psychologist, sometimes their confessors even. It’s not always easy to treat the enemy that just injured or killed your friends. Or to have to lie to a guy who’s dying and tell him that he will be fine, knowing that the last thing he will ever hear on this earth is a lie from someone he trusts. But we’re also trained to save people – the fighting is secondary. With all the death and horror that comes with war, it means something when you can be a little bit of light in the darkness.”